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Alternative Warsaw: Exploring the City’s Praga District

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Things to see & Do in Praga

It is no surprise then that people here can seem a little frosty to outsiders. Both politically and geographically, Praga has always been separate from Warsaw proper.

Where to Drink in Praga

You can see why they feel hard done by. Our first stop was a remnant of that Russian occupation; St. Mary Magdalene is the districts most important church, the Cathedral of St. Unfortunately, it was not so lucky during the war, with only its external walls and the statues of its two saints surviving.

The district itself ended the war a little more intact. The Russian army arrived in Praga in July but stopped at the Vistula, famously leaving the Polish home army to fend for themselves as the centre of the city was systematically demolished by the Nazis following the Warsaw Uprising.

It is genuinely old, decrepit and antique. Facades are pocked with bullet holes that are yet to be covered over 70 years after they were first shot into the rendering. Some streets are very much in the same condition that they were in in Standing on those streets now, you can see why they were chosen. Only the satellite dishes dotting the buildings and the modern cars parked on the street indicate that it is, in fact, the 21st century. Tomasz led us through a maze of overgrown gateways, dank alleys and up dusty stairwells so that we could catch a brief glimpse of pre-war Praga.

There are still over of these little chapels dotted around the area. They were erected to stand in for bombed out churches during Nazi occupation but still get used today. He pushed aside the heavy wooden doors and ushered us inside. The small courtyard inside had been completely painted in a rainbow of bright colours and dotted with planters of cascading green foliage.

This is typical of modern Praga. As property prices rise in the city centre, the area has seen an influx of students and artists searching for cheap accommodation and decrepit Praga is one of the few places with a low enough price point.

With them, they have brought a burgeoning art scene. Tomasz explained how this building stood empty and so art students had commandeered this tiny space to put on a fashion show. A runway was set up through the centre and in one corner, a bar served drinks while in the other, DJs played.

In typical Praga fashion, not all of the residents have been happy with this bohemian invasion, failing to embrace the influx of art and culture. They feel that it is diluting the historic feel of the neighbourhood, that the youth are changing their streets without consulting them. At the moment though, the revitalisation of the right bank seems unstoppable. It now houses bars and auditoriums and is regularly used for cinema screenings, art shows and gigs.

It started a trend that has continued throughout Praga. This massive post-industrial site, formerly home to the Pocisk Munitions Factory and Warsaw Motorcycle Factory, has been completely reclaimed as an artistic sub-district. It is the neon signs, and more specifically the Neon Museum, that attracts most visitors to this part of Praga. The first neon sign in Warsaw was lit in In the inter-war period, there was a proliferation of this kind of sign, resulting in almost 70 illuminating the streets.

Warsaw, still in ruins and shrouded in darkness, was to become the European capital of neons. Soon the city was bathed in a magical neon glow.

Might look like a bit wilder side of Warsaw. But bo-ho and less touristy.

In , David Hill and his partner Ilona Karwinska were so struck by the remaining neons that they decided to document them. One thing led to another and they even began to acquire old signs, often rusting and in disrepair.

Ilona found it so hard to see many of the signs being destroyed that she decided to save as many as possible, eventually amassing enough to open the collection up to the public. The crumbling, bullet-pocked walls have been adorned with graffiti and swathes of fairy lights roped across the outdoor seating area. Inside we found artists at work, painting panoramic, industrial landscapes of Praga.

It seemed a fitting end to the tour; to see the old Praga merging with the new, to create something truly unique that the residents can celebrate.

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